Game



Sept.26, 1939. AWS E 2,173,865

GAME

Filed July 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ENTO Cir/[7w OM94) en sgn To uaysSept. 26, 1939. A. w. swENsoN GAME Filed July 3, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 25 .MJW\

@rf/mr W402 son I 0204). M 6" 37 ZiFZTTOIQXEYS Patented Sept. 26, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Arthur W. Swenson, Rockford, 111..

Application July 3, 1937, Serial No. 151,849

6 Claims.

This invention relates to games which involve the rolling of balls up aninclined playing surface and direction thereof into different scoringpockets.

The primary object is to provide, in a game of the above generalcharacter, a novel mechanism for automatically indicating scores inresponse to movement of balls following catching thereof in differentscoring pockets.

The invention also resides in the novel construction of the scoringmechanism by which simplicity of the parts and reliability of operationare obtained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a gameembodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively along the lines 3-3and 3-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the ballprojector.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I

have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail thepreferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not intend tolimit the invention by such disclosure but aim to cover allmodifications and alternative constructions falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a game of theso-called bowling type in which balls are projected by a suitableshooter 6 and rolled one by one upwardly along an inclined playingsurface I into engagement with an upturned deflector 8 by which theballs are directed, according to the momentum they obtain, intodifferent scoring pockets arranged in vertically spaced relation on anupwardly inclined plate 9. Herein, the playing surface is formed from asheet ill of metal bent to form front and side walls ll bounding theplaying surface. The sheet is supported at the proper angle through themedium of front and rear legs i2 and IS. The deflector 8 comprises aseparate strip of metal secured as by spot-welding to the sheet It] withits upper end curved upward sharply and positioned for causing the ballsto pass into the different pockets.

Parallel side balls I l, also bent from the sheet it, are apertured asindicated at 15 and provided with flanges 16 against which thepocket-supportingplate 9 lies and to which this plate is fastened as byspot-welding. Curved flanges I! are formed at the upper edges of thewalls l4 and support a screen l8 or other transparent covering whichterminates in front of the deflector 8 and at a point substantiallyabove the playing surface. Balls projected upwardly from the deflectorare thus caused to fall in one of the pockets.

Four scoring pockets are provided in the present instance, the highscoring one of these being in the form of a hole [9 in the plate 9.Successively larger pockets 20, 2|, and 22 comprising strips of sheetmetal outstanding from the plate 9 are arranged beneath the pocket l9.These communicate respectively with holes 2%, 2 l and 22 also formed inthe plate 9 immediately above the corresponding pockets.

The improved and automatic scoring mechanism is housed within a casing23 defined by front and rear vertical plates 24 and 25 havingoverlapping side flanges 26 suitably joined together. The legs iii areformed on the lower end of the casing 23 which receives and is securedby screws 21 to the rear edge portions of the side walls M.

The counter proper comprises two vertical disks 28 and 29 disposed oneabove the other in spaced parallel relation within the casing 23 andfast on shafts 30 and 3i freely journaled in bearings 32 supported bythe plate 25. Scoring indicia 33 and 34 annularly spaced around thefront faces of the disks near the peripheries thereof are visiblethrough a window 35 in the front plate 24. Between the indicia thereon,the disk 23 carries pockets formed in the present instance by radiallyopening recesses 36 punched in the disk and having widths slightlygreater than the diameter of the balls 3? which are employed. Theserecesses are spaced apart uniformly to correspond to the spacing of theindicia on the disk.

The disk 28 is rotated under the weight of a ball guided from one of thescoring pockets into one of the recesses 36 on one side of the disk, theextent of rotational movement being determined by the recess into whichthe ball is directed in any stopped position of the disk. To permit theballs rolling through the different holes I 9 to 22 to gravitate tosuccessively lower recesses in the disk 28, holes 38 are cut in theplate 24 so as to register with the inner closed ends of the recesses 36are indicated in Fig. 3 in any stopped position of the disk. Troughs 39of sheet metal or the like (see Figs. 2 and 4) are fastened at oppositeends to the plates 9 and 24 each with its ends alined with one of theholes 38 and one of the corresponding scoring holes. Each trough isinclined rearwardly, downwardly, and to the right as viewed in Figs. 1and 4, so that a ball passing through one of the scoring holes willgravitate through a hole 38 into one of the recesses 36.

The ball so received is confined in the recess by the casing walls 24and 25 and by a metal strip 40 fastened to the rear wall and disposedbetween the latter and the disk 23. The strip is curved to maintain aball traveling with the disk near the closed end of the recess in whichit is carried. Near its lower end and beyond the vertical diameter ofthe disk 28, the strip 48 is bent to form a vertical wall 4! whichcooperates with a wall 42 to form an outlet channel 43 into which a ballmoving with the disk may drop when the open end of the ball carryingrecess becomes alined with the channel as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably,the Wall 42 projects above the wall ll so as to be disposed in the pathof the moving ball whereby to quickly arrest the advance of the diskwhen the motivating ball engages the wall l2. In this position of thedisk, a check pawl 44 pivoted at 45 on the plate 25 drops in behind awall of one of the recesses 36 and holds the disk against reversemovement.

The ball falling from the disk recess into the channel 43 is temporarilyheld by a stop 46 in a position to block the disk against further movement. The stop comprises a turned up end on a rod 4'! slidably mountedbeneath the metal sheet if! and urged forwardly by a spring 49 tonormally hold the stop in blocking position (Fig. 2).

When the forwardly projecting end 55 of the rod (see Fig. 1) is pushedrearwardly, the stop 46 is retracted to permit a ball held in the outletchannel to fall onto the sheet if! down which the balls will start togravitate. In this downward movement, the ball is led by an upstandingguide wall 5| through an opening 52 at one end of the deflector 8. Afterpassing through the opening 52, the ball continues to roll down theplaying surface. Any ball shot upwardly from the defiector 8 and failingto be caught in one of the pockets falls into a channel defined by thedeflector 8, the plate 9, and a strip 53, the latter of which isinclined laterally of the playing surface so as to direct the ball ontothe sheet if! and through the opening 52.

Since successively higher scores are to be indicated by balls rollingthrough the successively higher holes 22 2M, 20 and I9, the lowermosthole communicates through the lowermost trough 39 with the disk recess38 next adjacent the outlet channel 43. Thus, in response to a ballcaught in the lowermost pocket 22, the disk 28 will, in the mannerdescribed above, be advanced one step, that is, a distance equal to thespacing of the recesses 38, This results in movement of the next scoringnumber 33 into view through the window 35. In similar ways, the diskwill be advanced two and three steps respectively when balls are caughtin the 20 and 30 pockets. A ball rolling through the high scoring hole19 is led to the fourth higher recess 38 and, as a result of gravitationto the outlet channel 43, advances the disk four steps.

It will be seen that in its successive movements the disk 28 willindicate increasing scores in steps of ten. In the final step of eachrevolution of the disk, that is, the next movement of the disk when thescore 90 is visible through the window 35, a pin 55 on the disk entersone of the peripheral notches 55 on the disk 29, and by engagement witha shoulder 51 advances the latter one step. Successive movements of thisdisk increase the score in steps of 100, the total score at any timebeing indicated by combining the indications of the two disks.

To reset the disk for the starting of play, the high scoring disk 29 isadvanced by turning a knob 5'1 until the next highest score isindicated, that is, 1900. Then by turning a knob 58 in a direction toturn the disk 28 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, the diskis advanced to zero position as a result of which the disk 29 will alsobe advanced to its zero position.

It will be' observed from the foregoing that the counter disk is mountedto rotate freely, that is to say, it is not urged in either direction bysprings or other energy applying means. This is especially advantageousin that a very light ball, such as an ordinary marble, will actuate thedisk in the intended manner. Also, playing of the game may be continuedindefinitely, there being, by virtue of mounting the disk for freerotation, no limitation imposed on the extent to which the disk may beturned under the action of successive balls.

The use of such a freely rotatable disk is made possible through theprovision of the means above referred to for preventing the disk fromoverrunning a definite angular position which is determined by the diskpocket in which the ball is received. Thus, in the present instance, theball itself, coacting with the stop 42, the disk, and the check pawl toarrest the motion of the disk by a ball in a position in which pocketsin the disk are properly alined with each of the troughs 39 and one ofthe scoring indicia, is in register with the window 35.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the shooter 6 is of a constructionforming the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 137,21.9, filed April 16, 1937, and is arranged to effect automaticreprojection of a ball up the playing surface after the ball has beencaught in the shooter by manipulation effected by the player. Referringto Figs. 1 and 5, the shooter includes two metal plates 65 and GIrigidly connected by a shouldered stud 62 extending through a slot 63 inthe plate l0 near the lower end of the playing surface. The two platesare pivoted on a stud M for swinging movement laterally of the playingsurface. The upper end of the plate 60 is slotted and bent to formupstanding flanges 65 constituting a ball guiding channel and flaredapart at their upper ends as indicated at 66 to facilitate catching of aball rolling down the playing surface. By grasping a handle 66upstanding from the projecting end of the plate 6!, the operator mayswing the catching device to any desired position either for catching aball gravitating down the playing surface or for positioning the guidechannel for reprojection of the ball in the desired direction up theplaying surface.

Automatic reprojection of a caught ball as it rolls to the lower end ofthe flanges 55 is effected by a bifurcated arm 61 pivoted at 63 onflanges 59 struck out from the plate 5|. The lever is actuated by acontractile spring Hi stretched between the lower end of the arm and alub H bent downwardly from a plate 12 interposed between the plates illand BI. The projecting arm 61 is held in the cocked position shown inFig. 1 by a latch 73 pivoted at M and having formed thereon a lug 75adapted to overlie a shoulder 56 on the arm 61.

Resetting of the lever 61 is effected manually by shifting a projection11 on the plate 12 toward the projection 66 whereupon a shoulder l8 willengage the lever 61 and swing the latter about its pivot until the lug15 drops over the shoulder 16. The resetting slide 12 is moved back tonormal position by the action of the spring, this position being definedby engagement of the lug H with a projection 19 struck downwardly fromthe plate 6|. In this position, the upper end of the latch 13 projectsforwardly from the arm 61 and is disposed in the path of a ballgravitating down along the shooter channel. In response to engagement bythe caught ball, the latch 13 is swung about its pivot and the lug l5disengaged from the shoulder l6. This releases the arm Bl to the actionof the spring 10 in such timed relation that the caught ball will, inthe movement of the arm from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shownin Fig. 5, be propelled upwardly with sufficient momentum to causeelevation of the ball by the deflector plate 8 into one of the scoringpockets.

After reprojection of the ball, the shooter is reset preparatory tocatching the ball after it gravitates down the playing surface followingrelease of the ball by pushing inwardly on the rod 50.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of acounter member bearing annularly spaced scoring indicia and mounted toturn freely about a substantially horizontal axis, ball-receivingrecesses annularly spaced around the periphery of said member, aplurality of scoring pockets, guide channels for receiving balls fromthe respective pockets and directing the same to different ones of saidpockets to cause rotation of said member diflferent distances under theweight of balls received in the difierent recesses, an outlet disposedbelow said member to receive a ball from any one of said recesses aftermovement of the member thereby to a predetermined position in which oneof said recesses is alined with said outlet, and a manually retractiblestop normally positioned to block a ball received in said outlet withthe ball projecting into a recess in said member.

2. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of acounter member bearing annularly spaced scoring indicia and mounted toturn freely about a substantially horizontal axis, ball-receivingrecesses annularly spaced around the periphery of said member, aplurality of scoring pockets, means for receiving balls from therespective pockets and directing the same to difierent ones of saidrecesses to cause rotation of said member difl'erent distances under theweight of balls received in the different recesses, an outlet disposedbelow said member to receive a ball from any one of said recesses aftermovement of the member thereby to a predetermined position, and meansoperating to hold the ball temporarily in said outlet in blockingrelation with respect to said counter member whereby movement thereof isarrested with the member in a predetermined angular position.

3. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of acounter member bearing annularly spaced scoring indicia and mounted toturn freely about a substantially liorizontal axis, ball-receivingrecesses annularly spaced around the periphery of said member, aplurality of scoring pockets, means for receiving balls from therespective pockets and directing the same to difierent ones of saidrecesses to cause rotation of said member different distances under theweight of balls received in the different recesses, an outlet disposedbelow said member and positioned in the direction of movement of thecounter member beyond a vertical diameter of the member to receive aball from any one of said recesses after movement of the member therebyto an over-center position whereby the weight of a ball entering saidoutlet tends to reverse the direction of movement of said member, and acheck pawl acting to limit such reverse movement of the member with thelatter positioned to aline one of said recesses with said outlet.

4. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of, aplurality of scoring pockets, a member bearing scoring indicia andmounted to rotate freely about a substantially horizontal axis, saidmember having annularly spaced ball receiving recesses formed thereonand being unrestrained and free to turn indefinitely in one directionunder the weight of successive balls directed into said recesses,guidechannels for receiving balls from different ones of said pocketsand directing such balls to successively higher recesses on said member,an outlet below said member adapted to receive a ball from any one ofsaid recesses after movement of the member thereby to a predeterminedposition in which one of the recesses registers with said outlet, andstop means engageable by each ball during actuation of said memberthereby and acting through the medium of the ball to arrest the motionof the member in said direction with each of said channels and saidoutlet in register with difierent ones of said recesses.

5. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of, aplurality of scoring pockets, a member bearing scoring indicia andmounted to rotate freely about a substantially horizontal axis, saidmember having annularly spaced ball receiving recesses formed thereonand being unrestrained and free to turn indefinitely in one directionunder the weight of successive balls directed into said recesses, guidechannels for receiving balls from different ones of said pockets anddirecting such balls to successively higher recesses on said member, anoutlet below said member adapted to receive a ball from any one of saidrecesses after movement of the member thereby to a predeterminedposition in which one of the recesses registers with said outlet, acheck pawl engageable with said member for arresting movement thereofreverse to said first mentioned direction with the member in definiteangular positions in each of which said channels and said outletregister with different ones of said recesses, and independentlyoperable means operating automatically as an incident to actuation ofsaid member by a ball to arrest the motion of said disk in saiddirection with each of said channels and said outlet in register withdifferent ones of said recesses.

6. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of, asubstantially flat disk mounted to turn about a generally horizontalaxis and having radially opening notches formed in its periphery to formball receiving recesses, a plurality of scoring pockets havingvertically spaced outlets leading to different ones of said recesseswhile said disk is at rest, a stationary wall on the side of said diskopposite said recesses constituting a stop for balls rolling into therecesses andoperating during rotation of the disk under the weight of aball to hold the latter in the plane of the disk, and a peripheral guidefor holding a ball in a disk recess until the ball, by rotation of thedisk, reaches a predetermined position at which the ball may gravitatefrom the recess.

ARTHUR W. SWENSON.

